"Mr. Plow" <adam_is_mr_plow@hotmail.com> wrote:
:>
:> True, but then you would need to start worrying about the
:>dollar/KiloWatt-Hour. :-)
:>
: That's what solar panels are for Jon!!!
: :D
Ok, but then the expense just gets shifted from a monthly fee to
a large up-front lump sum. Those things don't come cheap! $$$$ :-(
I know every time I've looked into it, the costs are such that they
don't start to pay for themselves for many years, and most people
just don't have access to the funds for such a large up-front expense
like that (making the only option trying to get a home equity or
some other type of financing, which of course inflates the overall
price even more thanks to the interest). Not to mention the added
problems of somewhat unreliable power (dependant on the sun and
weather), solar panel space and maintenaince, battery space and
maintenaince, snow cover in the winter... Unfortunately, there is
no free lunch. Pay me now, or pay me later - pollute over here or
pollute over there... :-)
Don't get me wrong - I am all for trying to use alternative
power sources and such - the more choice the better! Especially
if it will help me to keep some of my dollars in my wallet. What
I DO have a problem with though, is people who try to use legislation
to force immature technologies on the world. When the technologies
become feasable, the free market will make them available to us.
There will always be pioneers out there on the bleeding edge, and
these folks are very important; they are the ones who will bring
the technology into the mainstream. However, forcing everyone to
jump right out to that edge before the technology is ready (and
even AFTER the technology is ready, for that matter) is downright
wrong.
(I feel I should clarify; I'm not saying that you are one of those
people, Adam; its just that my first paragraph seemed to be painting
me as resistant to change or "renewable" power sources, so I wanted
to explain my perspective and where I'm coming from. I am open to
"alternative" sources and technologies, but I remain wary of them
because they are often pushed for political reasons as opposed to
practical ones.)
--
-Jon-
.-- Jon Steiger ---- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com --.
| 1970 Barracuda - 1990 Dakota 'vert - 1992 Ram 4x4 - 1996 Dakota |
| 1996 Intruder 1400 - 1996 Kolb FireFly - 2001 Ram QC 3500 CTD |
`------------------------------------ http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
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